Acer intros breadbox-sized X1200 desktop

Acer today gave the US a rare miniature addition to its Aspire desktop lineup. The X1200 is just over a foot long at its largest measurement but fits in desktop components and expansion that would normally be impractical in its size. Up to a 2.6GHz Athlon 64 X2 is complemented by a GeForce 8200 for integrated graphics as well as a PCI Express 2.0 slot that allows dedicated video or other peripherals. Every system also fits 4GB of memory.

The all-black chassis also finds room for expansion that is left out even on larger systems, including a total of nine USB ports on the front and back, a 14-in-1 card reader, and FireWire.

Acer is shipping three different trim levels depending on tastes. A base version ships with a 2.5GHz Athlon 64 X2, a 320GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and Windows Vista Home Premium in 64-bit form for $450; upgrading to the 2.6GHz processor adds $10 to the price, while a version of the same system with a 22-inch LCD and a 500GB drive boosts the price to $700. The headless models are available today, while the complete system ships July 13th.